RALEIGH, N.C. (WAVY) — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is reporting 864 new COVID-19 cases Monday along with 4 additional deaths.

The NCDHHS is closer to administering 3 million tests statewide with almost 26,000 tests reported Monday. Overall, state officials have administered 2,999,853 COVID-19 tests since the beginning of the outbreak.

The average percent positivity rate is 3.3%, much lower compared to Sunday’s 5.1%

Hospitalizations have also gone down with 20 fewer North Carolina patients hospitalized due to COVID-19.

State health officials reported 4 new deaths related to the virus.

On Friday, the NCDHHS began reporting antigen-positive cases, deaths, and tests completed in addition to the regularly reported molecular (PCR) positive cases.

According to the NCDHHS, molecular (PCR) positive cases are classified as “confirmed” cases, while antigen-positive cases are classified as “probable” cases of COVID-19, in accordance with CDC. Additionally, health officials say that molecular (PCR) tests are processed in a laboratory while antigen tests are often processed at the point of care, such as in a health care provider’s office.

As a result of “improved reporting processes,” NCDHHS is now adding the antigen information into the COVID-19 daily dashboard.  

Health officials say that both molecular (PCR) and antigen tests are diagnostic so they look to see if someone is currently infected with COVID-19. Each test looks for different things to determine if someone is infected. 

  • A molecular (PCR) test looks for the virus’s genetic material. 
  • An antigen test is a rapid test that looks for specific proteins on the surface of the virus.

“A molecular (PCR) positive case of COVID-19 is a person who received a positive COVID-19 result from a molecular (PCR) test. An antigen-positive case of COVID-19 is a person who received a positive COVID-19 result from an antigen test and does not have a positive result from a molecular (PCR) test. People are only counted as a case once, even if they have multiple positive
tests,” according to the NCDHHS website.

NCDHHS says that adding the antigen-positive cases and test data makes up about 2% of the total COVID-19 cases and less than 1% of the total deaths throughout the state.

Here are the latest updates in local counties:

Gates: 142 cases — 3 deaths
Dare: 274 cases — 3 deaths
Currituck: 184 cases — 3 deaths
Pasquotank: 710 cases — 30 deaths
Perquimans: 187 cases — 3 deaths
Bertie: 590 cases — 8 deaths
Hertford: 755 cases — 29 deaths
Chowan: 360 cases — 3 deaths
Camden: 115 cases — 3 deaths

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